I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data networks and computer communications across the data networks. More particularly, the invention relates to the provision of software applications that require a subscription for authorized use thereof being installed on wireless devices from one or more application download servers on a wireless data network, and the subscription is automatically accounted for on a server-side accounting module until the subscribed application is deleted from the wireless device.
II. Description of the Related Art
Wireless devices, such as cellular telephones, communicate packets including voice and data over a wireless network. Cellular telephones themselves are being manufactured with increased computing capabilities and are becoming tantamount to personal computers and hand-held personal digital assistants (“PDAs”). These “smart” cellular telephone have installed application programming interfaces (“APIs”) onto their local computer platform that allow software developers to create software applications that operate on the cellular telephone. The API sits between the wireless device system software and the software application, making the cellular telephone functionality available to the application without requiring the software developer to have the specific cellular telephone system source code.
The software applications can come pre-loaded at the time the wireless telephone is manufactured, or the user may later request that additional programs be downloaded over cellular telecommunication carrier networks, where the programs are executable on the wireless telephone. As a result, users of wireless telephones can customize their wireless telephones with programs, such as games, printed media, stock updates, news, or any other type of information or program available for download through the wireless network. Some of the software applications are downloadable to the user only if the user has a paid a fee to the provider of the software applications. And in some existing computer networks, software applications are only downloadable if the user subscribes to the use of the software application such that the user is billed at periodic intervals for the use of the application.
The provider typically insures that only authorized users have access to cost-based applications through the provision of licenses within the software application itself. The wireless device API normally checks the software either at the time execution is requested or at some other period to determine if the software is licensed for use on the computer platform of the wireless device. As long as the license is current, the software application can be executed on the platform. However, most software licenses have a finite duration for which they will permit the user to have access to the licensed application. For some applications, the license is of a lasting duration and the user is billed for the application based upon the date when the application was downloaded.
In existing wireless networks, if the user of the wireless device desires to download and use a subscription-based software application, the user will typically either call a service provider or contact the service provider through other means, such as through an Internet access, and the service provider will either transmit the subscribed application to the wireless device across the wireless network or allow the user access to secure site where the subscription-based application is downloadable or accessible. To end the subscription of the application that has been downloaded to or is accessible from the wireless device, the user typically has to make an affirmative step to end the subscription, such as contacting the service provider from the wireless device, which can be expensive, or waiting until a less expensive connection can be made, such as from a land-based telephone line or an Internet connection.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method whereby a subscription-based software application can be downloaded to wireless devices and accounted for by the application provider, while still permitting the user easy removal of the subscription-based application with virtually concurrent cessation of billing for the application subscription. Further, such subscription-based software application should be easily removed from the wireless device without significant action required by the user of the wireless device to contact the software application provider to have the subscription discontinued. It is thus to the provision of such a system and method that can account for the use of subscription-based software applications on wireless devices that the present invention is primarily directed.